Experience in a OTC unit versus a new, "Better" unit

[Dakota_Rookie]

Back in 2021, my hunting buddies and I hunted a heavily pressured, OTC unit during the archery/muzzy season. We were seeing elk every day and within 500 to 100 yards of a herd every day for the last days of the hunt but never closed into archery distance. They were in the middle of a recent burn and it was just tough to close that distance. The reason I think we were on that herd and seeing elk everyday was because we were getting into that burn while everyone else, it seemed, was hunting the darker timber, closer to camps and off of ATV's. We never saw hunters in the burn. The burn also had shut down a road for that season that we would hike in on everyday and also had to have been keeping pressure down so that herd of elk was finding a bit of refuge in the pocket. With there being 3-4 years of regrowth and opportunity to clean it up I am assuming this road would be reopened by now and that would make the area of the unit we are most familiar with much easier to access.

Flash forward to today and I'm in a predicament. My buddy and I have enough points that we can draw a "better" unit but not enough points that we'd be able to touch any of the "great" units for any season. We are looking to burn our points and go for a mid-October rifle hunt because that fits our schedules a little bit better this year. A rifle hunt in this timeframe and in the unit we hunted in 2021 can be drawn (according to GoHunt) with 1 point so it stands to reason we could come back here frequently in the future.

I'm leaning toward trying to find a unit that is more limited with possibly more limited archery and muzzleloader tags before the rifle season that would help limit pressure before we're there and during our hunt but I do put a value on having a little familiarity with the previous unit from 2021. I'm just not confident that unit would hunt the same way after a few years and in a different part of the season so I'm worried if we went back we'd have to relearn the area anyway. I'm also aware that just because every season in a unit is a draw it doesn't necessarily mean there will be less pressure.

For what it's worth, this would by my 4th season elk hunting, 2nd season with a rifle.

Any advice or discussion is appreciated.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve hunted 5 different units the last 5 years in Colorado. I killed 5 bulls in those 5 units (ML, archery, rifle). Only 1 I’d been in prior. None have been otc units.

Prior to that I hunted the same unit 5 straight years. I killed 5 bulls in that unit. The last 5 years have been a lot more fun. I’d vote to try something new!

 

[Hondo0925]

I’ve hunted 5 different units the last 5 years in Colorado. I killed 5 bulls in those 5 units (ML, archery, rifle). Only 1 I’d been in prior. None have been otc units.

Prior to that I hunted the same unit 5 straight years. I killed 5 bulls in that unit. The last 5 years have been a lot more fun. I’d vote to try something new!

This is kinda where I’m at. New places are fun

 

[D_wit22]

I think either one is a good choice. There would definitely be an advantage to going somewhere you have been before. However the elk could be on a different side of the mountain in late October compared to September. Sorry that doesn’t clear up the water, but I say pick one or the other, pour all your energy and time into scouting, getting in shape and just go for it! There are Elk in every unit, just need to find them

 

[Maverick1]

“We were seeing elk every day and within 500 to 100 yards of a herd every day for the last days of the hunt”

Couple of thoughts:
Never leave elk to find elk.
There is a definite benefit to going to an area where you know the elk will NOT be.
There is a definite benefit to hunting a similar area year after year.
Elk may not be in the same place from one year to the next.
If that road is open now the dynamics of the area changes.
Elk may be in different places in the archery season vs the firearm season
It is always fun to explore and learn new places.

 

[180ls1]

a lot more fun.

The most underrated metric.

 

[Dakota_Rookie]

Couple of thoughts:
Never leave elk to find elk.

Yeah, we definitely weren't leaving those elk we had found to find different elk. Even though they were tough to hunt with bows in the middle of that wide open burn, it sure was fun. A lot of bugling and was able to watch from a distance the bulls nudging cows around and fighting each other. A ton of fun!

If we were to return to this unit my thought is the first thing we'd do would be to check this area to see how different it was. As you mentioned, the road being opened could change the dynamics, the amount of regrowth could also change the dynamics and also the different season may be one of the biggest factors in my mind.

For those reasons I've been leaning toward the side of using our points for somewhere else and returning in later seasons after we burn our current points and could go back with only 1-2 points.

I'm sure my boss would puke if he knew how much time I was putting into just thinking about this during my work days, which is where I'm currently sitting talking to you guys about this!

 

[35WhelenAI]

Sounds like you don't know if the new unit would be less pressure or not. Seems like a crap shoot, good luck.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Am I correct you have one year of familiarity with the unit that is the familiar unit, versus trying something else that you haven't been in before? And it was 4 years ago?

 

[Dakota_Rookie]

Am I correct you have one year of familiarity with the unit that is the familiar unit, versus trying something else that you haven't been in before? And it was 4 years ago?

Yes, I have 1 season's experience in a unit from 4 years ago that I'm considering returning too. But also considering applying for a couple of other units that theoretically have less pressure and would be a more quality hunt from that perspective. A ton of different considerations and changing dynamics. About the only thing I suppose would be the road system.

Yes. It's entirely a crap shoot.

Yes. I'm probably overthinking all of it.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

Can't kill one from the couch. Get a tag and go hunting.

 

[profj]

If your priority is having fun, go check out a new unit.
If you priority is meat in the freezer, go to the same old unit.
I try and get two tags every year, one Class A and one Class B. One is in my "home" unit or a nearby one I can get with 0 pts, that is the "banker" for a cow, meat in the freezer. Then I get a kind of "wild card" for a unit I hve never hunted before and go and check it out. So far I have never got an elk in the wild card unit, but I am learning a lot of country, and if the points situation in the units near home goes sour, I will know where to go next.

 

[NotchElk]

I always tend to try and hunt at least 1 new unit or location each year. If nothing else, maybe apply for the same unit but hunt a different location in that unit and then have your go to location as a fall back if you can’t get into elk.

I will say, there’s something to be said about the confidence you can build from challenging yourself with a new unit and figuring it out.

 

[Dakota_Rookie]

My hunting buddy and I regularly hunt new areas at home and have had success and have confidence hunting the open plains for deer. That style clearly doesn't translate well to the mountains but that's been part of our learning process! Even though we haven't connected with an elk, we have been more successful finding them exploring new areas. I think we're going to be making our run at a new area this fall and see where that takes us. If possible, we may return to our prior location to scout the area for a morning or evening and see how it's changed so we have a couple reference points for the future.